The Extremes of Mobile Phone Commodification

I literally had to rub my eyes when I saw this packet of biscuits at my local supermarket; then I just had to have them!

So I purchased a pack of Paradise Foods "Mobile Fones" chocolate biscuits.

What a fantastic cultural artifact this turned out to be, demonstrating the extent to which mobile phones, aside from any functionality or purpose, have become commodified by market forces. I do not know in what other countries - if any - these biscuits are available. What was most interesting to me, aside from the fact that they appeared to have picked mobile phones as the topic of their biscuits for no logical reason (save economic or marketing studies no doubt), but they manner in which semiotics are deployed on the packaging - the second skin of commodification.

Clearly the consumer group whom is target by this product is children, and in a much more direct manner than through parents. The language deployed on the packaging - including 'squeeze-text' or 'txt' (Carrington, 2005) or 'acronymy' (Bodomo & Lee, 2002), along with personification of the mobile phone itself, is clearly aimed at a younger audience; those whom are tech and mobile savvy.

The first thing that I immediately noticed, apart from the bright colours and picture of a happy, smiling mobile phone on the packet, was the sub-title to the product name, curiously written the the abbreviated language of SMS.

"gr8 fone shapd bizkits w choc 4 u 2 njoy"

Whilst this message is fairly straight forward, even for those relatively uninitiated in the language of SMS, it is a fairly clear appeal to a particular audience. The designers of this product - the packaging in particular - have intentionally deployed a language form generally associated with younger, more tech-savvy 'digital natives' (Prensky, Don't Bother Me Mum - I'm Learning! 2006). This is part of a clear attempt to relate to the consumer on the basis of identity and group association, through a use of their own language, as opposed to the expected language of 'the establishment'. By speaking to young people on their level, using their language, the marketers are clearly acting in a manipulative manner that is not all that unexpected in modern consumer-media culture.

The second point which I found most interesting about this cultural artifact, was the manner in which the technology of the mobile phone was acquired and commodified as a mascot for Paradise Foods through the persona of "Moby".

The first encounter that the consumer has with Moby is encountering his smiling face on the front of the packet. There is nothing new about this marketing ploy of course: smiling faces and images that engender feelings of happiness have been an overbearing feature of the commercial sector since the development of its modern manifestation in the twentieth century. The reduction of the mobile phone as a technology to a mere character is an interesting way in which mobile telephony generally seems to be being normalized in this cultural artifact. The further description of Moby on the back of the packet, adds further depth to his character, but also reveals a more disturbing aspect to this commodity: its intended audience.

I have already suggested that in deploying SMS language, this cultural artifact is clearly allying itself with youth culture through their lens of language. Turning to the Moby profile reveals more about the intended consumer of this product:

"Meet Moby
Moby is a cool little dude choc-full of playful energy. He just loves to keep on the move, getting connected with his mates and having fun along the way. Paradise Kidz Mobile Fones have a great chocolate taste and are fun to share wherever you may be.
www.paradise4kidz.com.au "

I know that when I first read this small outline I could not get over the connotations drawn with being mobile and connected("...keep on the move...wherever you may be..."), friendship ("...with his mates...") and play/fun ("...playful energy...having fun...fun to share..."), and how this is cleverly linked in with the qualities of the product. Not only is the language clearly directed at a young audience - pre-teen - but once again, there is the suggestion of a shared cultural identity with their audience.

Clearly, Paradise Foods, as indicated by their website, is engaged in a process of constructing a culture around their products, based very much on appealing to the interests, identities and affiliations of young people. I also wonder who notices the website for paradise foods on the back of the packet and goes to it: kids? Parents? It does seem highly superficial to conscript a seemingly innocuous device such as a mobile phone to advertise a packet of chocolate biscuits, but this is not a new phenomenon by far. Consider the relevance of some well-known brand icons to their actual product: Coco Pops, Rice Bubbles, Fruit Loops. Additionally consider the manner in which popular cultural icons, such as movie and television show characters are co-opted for marketing purposes: McDonalds' happy meals are the ideal example of this (featuring regular toys from the latest release movies, or other fad). In this context, the move to have mobile phone biscuits is not that strange at all.

But it it strange in another way: introducing children to technologies in the form of play, yet technologies which essentially have an economic dimension. It is a curious irony that whilst the marketing around the mobile phone in this context is based on fun and freedom, the economic aspect of purchasing the biscuits, or a real phone, is something that can impinge upon that fun and freedom: what happens when mum says no, she will not buy the biscuits for the kid?

Here we have a true indication of the manner in which mobile phones have become an accepted and at times, invisible part of our everyday lives. Just as Davide, Dario and Tal revel in their "Fashion Victims" research, by "...Subverting the everyday behaviour of an everyday object..." Can change the light in which we see a cultural artifact. In this case, the nature of the mobile phone as a cultural artifact is revealed: one that is linked with young people, fun, freedom and friendship.

I wonder how mobile phones will manifest themselves throughout consumer-media culture as they become even more ubiquitous.